Aircon issue - strange one! 1.8T estate 99

[ezza123]

howdy all!

I have looked at the other Climatronic issues on this forum but none
completly the same as mine, so i thought i would post this
Hopefully I won’t bore you too much but here goes!
Had my aircon regassed last year but Kwick fit - asked to check for leaks - found none, when they regassed it - ICE cold for 3 weeks then smelt a funny oil smell each day as the coldness started to go, didnt go back because it was coming in to Winter - left it till 2 months ago where I had it regassed and checked it worked fine - still no leaks found for about 3 weeks then ran out again with the same funny oil smell.
The air con was regassed last week for the thrid time and they did a check under the dashand in the engine bay - spent hours looking for a leak to no avail - over gassed it etc.

Gave it back to me - and NOW it doesnt even push cold air out!!! the 18 Deg air is the same on econ as it is on Auto.

When i Put it on low, I can go in to the engine bay and the two A/C pipes the Small Pipe is bloody Frosting! and the fat pipe is just cold - no heat or anything.

(Sorry this is taking so long)

When I turn A/C on the engine slightly labours like it always does, the 2nd fan kicks in and compressors comes on, thats when the small pipe kind of freezes....
VAG diags is coming back with no errors.
in the climatronics diags - the light sensor on the dash is working fine - Position 40 shows -55 so im guessing thats -5.5 and its all looking ok - but im not too sure what im looking for!
The air comes out at foot well if chosen or in your face or to the screen - recirc works fine too -
So - It seems that the ice cold air is getting somewhere!!!
COuld the guy who opened up undeaneath the glove compartment and got the blower fan out have knocked something???

I took it back yesterday so they could look again and they regassed again and said its probably the High pressure valve...I reckon he may have knocked something!! what do you peeps think???? Sory to write so much -I do hope someone can help - if it is the High pressure valve then so be it!!!

Thanks for reading

Aaron

[kenney]

The fact that the small pipe (high pressure) is cold,suggests something critically wrong.But the main question is, how much gass,do they extract,before they refill the system,i need to know this, before i can answer,your question.

[ezza123]

They told me that there was NO gas left in the system at all - they also said they refilled the oil in the compressor!?!? So in the past 2 months from the last regass ALL escaped - also the climatronic panel was flashing before I took it in last week. Its not flashing now after they refilled it.

[kenney]

(quote)( the Small Pipe is bloody Frosting) this is impossible, if there is no gass in the system.If the system is empty,it stands to reason, the gass is leaking somewhere.If you have been to the same workshop,each time,i would suggest,you, try a more competent workshop.If the system has emptied inside 2 months,then there is a major leakage,which should be easy enough to source,with the right equipment.

[ezza123]

they regassed it full - it was empty when i took it to them - if you would like me to post a photo I can, I may have miss written somewhere!
I took it to them - there was no gass left - the regassed it - put dye in and could nit find any leaks. they said they had the glove compartment out looking for leaks and could not find any - I was wondering if they could have left something disconnected.
Should the thinner pipe not be icing up like that then??

[kenney]

If the system is working, the thin pipe (high pressure) should be hot and the thick pipe(low pressure)should be cold.What is the photo of.?

[ezza123]

Picture of the pipe freezing - I guess it not an easy resolution so I will just have to leave it over winter then trade the car in for a newer passat!

Thankyou for your help.

[kenney]

I would like to see the photo,it might help to diagnos the problem

[ezza123]

pretty crap pic to be honest - but you can see where i have put my finger on the small pipe half way down - could this be due to over gassing??? They did say they put alot mor than normal in??

[kenney]

That is normal,if you follow the high pressure pipe to a union joint,inside the joint,there is a restictor,the high pressure pipe should be warm,before it.It is not advisable to overfill the system,as that can cause various malfunctions.